Can feed and transfer mechanism.



G. H. AYARS.

CAN FEED AND TRANSFER MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2, 1912.

1,075,89 1n Patented ott. 14, 1913.

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CAN FEED AND TRANSFER MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2, 1912.

1,75,891. Patented 065.14, 1913.

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CHARLES H. AYARS, 0F SALEM, N-EW PANY, OF SALEM, NEW JERSEY, A CORPQRATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CAN FEED AND TRANSFER MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Get. 14, 1913.

Application-filed March 2,1912. Serial No. 681,282.

To all whom it may concern:

I Be it known that I, CHARLES H. AYARs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salem, in the county of Salem and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can Feed and Transfer Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

his invention relates to an improved can-feed and transfer mechanism and has reference to a mechanism that will convey cans in an upright position, with their open ends uppermost, and deliver them in proper time and at spaced-apart intervals to another mechanism or to another machine for filling, chopping or other purpose.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved can-feed device that will avoid the crushing or denting of the cans while feeding, arranging or transferring them.

Another object is to provide improved constructions of mechanisms that will enable the driving or motion-imparting means to yield in case a can should assume a position where it would be crushed or dented if the driving means continued to operate.

A further object is to provide improved means whereby the cans may be preliminarily shifted and arranged in a single file and in readiness to be received by a yielding driving or transfer mechanism, and

Another object is to provide an improved yielding driving means wherebyafter the same has been automatically stopped to prevent crushing or denting a can, it will begin feeding again, upon removal of the misplaced can, in proper time with the mechanism that is to receive the fed cans.

With these and other objects in view the accompanying drawings illustrate an application of the invention, wherein,

Figure 1, shows a plan view of the feed mechanism. Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3, illustratesa detail top plan view of the yielding feed device. 4, shows a vertical cross-sectional detail 0' the same. Fig. 5, illustrates a top plan view of the driving disk. Fig. 6, a vertlca'l cross sectional detail of the same, and Fig. 7, shows a detail of the pin which connects the driving disk and yielding feed device.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1, designates a suitable frame with bearings, 2, at the upper end thereof which sustain suitable horizontal shafts, 3, and, 4, which carry of said arm as far sprockets drums or equivalent devices, 5, to sustain aconveyer, 6. This conveyer may be driven in any suitable manner, such for eX- ample as by means of a pulley, 7, on the shaft, 3.

A guide bar, 8, has suitable arms, 9, projecting outwardly from one side thereof and said arms are adjustably sustained by a bracket, 10, that is secured on the frame. By means of this bracket and the arms, the guide bar, 8, may be projected more or less across the conveyer, for a purpose presently to be explained. It will be noted by reference to Fig. 1, that the guide bar extends in an oblique direction with respect to the edge of the conveyer or in such a direction that would cause it to intersect the line of said edge if continued, so that the cans will be gradually moved away from the conveyer edge as they advance toward the feed device.

A bracket, 11, is carried on the frame at the opposite side of the conveyer and said bracket pivotally sustains a horizontal arm, 12, which projects over the carrier and has a roller, 13, thereon. The underside of this arm, 12, has a socket, 14, in which one end of a rod or bar, 15, is secured. This rod or bar extends in an oblique direction from the end of arm, 12, and rearwardly therefrom so as to form a can guide bar at the side of the conveyer opposite the guide bar, 8. The rear end of rod or bar, 15, is loosely sustained in a bracket, 16, and a collar or equivalent stop device, 17, on the rod limits movement of the rod in one direction by contacting with the bracket and thus also prevents arm, 12, from swinging forwardly toward the discharge point of the conveyer but will allow said arm to swing rearwardly. A device is provided on the bar or rod, 15, which will deflect the cans and push them laterally as they move toward the roller 13. In the present instance this device has the form of a collar 18, which is adjustably held on the rod by means of a set screw, 19, whereby it desired location. A lug, 20, projects outwardly beyond the pivot of said arm, 12, and a spiral spring, 21, constantly pulls on said lug and keeps the movable roller-end toward the discharge-end of the conveyer 6, as the collar, 17 on bar or rod, 15, will allow it to swing in that direction. By again referring to Fig. 1, it will be noted that a sufficient space inter- JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO AYARS MACHINE COM- 7 may be placed on the rod at any venes between the'guide bar, 8, and roller, 13,'to permit the passage of cans, 22, in a single file, and that by adjusting the arms, 9, in the bracket, 10 the guide bar, 8, may bemoved "to one side or the other to suit cans of a different. size from those shown. In front of the conveyer, 6, there is provideda vertical shaft, 23, which is sustained in a bearing,24, and may be otherwise sustained near the upper end through a bracket, 25, which also sustains a horizontal cansupporting table, 26. Near the upper end the shaft, 23, carries a driving disk, 27, which is rigidly secured thereon by a set bolt, 28, so the said disk may be revolved continuously with the shaft. The upper surface of the driving disk is provided in the present instance, with a counter-sunk or beveled depression, 29, for a purpose presently to be described.

A rotary head, 30, is carried on the upper end of the vertical shaft,'23, and the under side of said head, in the present instance seats on the upper face of the driving diskand is sustained by the latter. At the upper side, this rotary head has a hub-like portion, 31, with a vertical recess, 32, therein, the recess extending entirely through the hub portion and opening on the under side of the rotary head. A pin or bolt, 33, is carried in the recess, 32, and a spring, 34, is compressed between the. upper end of the pin or bolt and a screw-plug, 35, that is screwed into the upper end of the vertical recess. By this means the pin or bolt is yieldingly pressed downwardly toward the driving disk so that its lower end, 36, which is slightly beveled, may be brought into register and seat in the counter-sink or depression, 29, in the upper face of the driving disk, 27. A collar, 37, onthe extreme upper end of shaft, 23, prevents the rotary head, 30, from rising. The rotary head has a plurality of recesses, 38, around its edge whereby to form a series of radial arms, 39. These arms project over the discharge-end of the conveyer, 6, so as to engage the cans, 22, circumferentially as they are moved into the rotary path of said arms and by this means the cans are swept laterally and drawn from the conveyer onto the horizontal table, 26, by which the cans are sustained as the arms move them in a circular path.

A guard rail, 40, is provided above the table, 26, to 'keepthe cans from movinglaterally or off on a tangent while the rotary head is pushing them over. the table.

The lower end of shaft, 23, is provided with a gear, 41, which meshes with and is driven by a gear, 42, that is carried on the lower end of a second verticalshaft, 43.

This latter shaft, 43, may be sustained in.

bearings or hanger, 44, that are carried on the frame, 45, of another machine. As a matter of fact, in practice the shaft, 43,

forms part of the can-conveying mechanism ever, the shaft, 43, carries a rotary wheel or head, 46, and an endless series of can seats, 47, are carried on a chain which passes around said head, 46, so said seats will be brought into sufiiciently close relation to the table, 26, that the cans may be transferred by the rotary head, 30, from the table onto the successive seats, 47.

In the operation of the machine the conveyer, 6, is kept traveling so that its upper stretch will move toward the rotary head,

conveyer in any desirable way, and in a .jumbled-up confused order if that seems more convenient. As the cans are moved toward the rotary head, 30, they pass between the guide, 8, at the one side and the movable guide bar or rod, 15, at the other side which tends to arrange them in a single line or file. Quite frequently the cans move forwardly two or three abreast and the projection on the rod, 15, will push them laterally and aid in properly arranging them.' After the cans pass between the roller, 13, and the end of guide, 8, the arms, 39, on the rotary head will engage the foremost can and carry it around toward the guard rail, 40, which retains the cans in the recess, 38, of the head while the latter carries it around and deposits it onto one of the can seats, 47, of the conveying mechanism of another machine. The rotation of the shafts, 23, and, 43, is such that they will be in time,thus insuring that the recesses, 38, will successively meet the successive can seats, 47, and deposit the cans on the latter. It frequently happens however that a can will assume such a position on the front end of the conveyer that the arm, 39, of rotary I but upon a can coming in contact with a rigid object, the bolt, 33, will raise and thus release the head from the disk, and the latter will'continue its revolution but the head, 30, will remain idle until the can is. properly placed. When the can has been properly placed the disk, 27, will continue to revolve" without moving the head, 30, until the recess, 29, reaches a point beneath the bolt and the latter will then again drop into the said recess, 29, and revolution of the head will continue. The location of the recess, 29, is such that it will always revolve in time with the can seats, consequently as' the head Will remain idle until the bolt again seats in the recess, the seating thereof will insure that the arms, 39 and recesses, 38, will at once he started ofi again in proper time to insure the meeting of the cans and the seats.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a can-feed mechanism the combination with means to convey the cans, of means for transferring the cans from the conveying means; means for arranging the cans while on the said conveying means to present them one at a time to the transfer means, and means for yieldingly operating the said transfer means.

bars and means for yieldingly operating the 7 said transfer means.

3. In a can-feed mechanism the combination with means to convey the cans, of guide bars extending over the said conveying means and converging atone end; a movable arm connected to the end of one of said guide bars; transfer means adjacent to the converging ends of said guide bars and means for moving the transfer means to transfer the cans one at a time from the conveying means.

4. In a can-feed mechanism the combination with means to convey the cans, of guide bars extending over the said conveying means and converging at one end; a movable arm connected to the end of one of said guide bars; transfer means adjacent to the converging ends of said guide bars; continuously-operating driving means for the said transfer means, and means for yieldingly-connecting the driving and transfer means.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. AYARS.

Witnesses O. W. ACTON, MARY D. BANKS. 

